New iOS Game Releases This Week: January 30, 2014

Each week brings a barrage of new games for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, but it can be difficult to pick out of the cream of the crop by looking at a mass of icons and titles. Luckily, we're tuned in to the most notable releases, and we'll be presenting a small stack of them with this column. Every single week, you'll find a diverse array of free and paid games across a variety of genres, and we'll highlight the unique aspects of each, as well as anything that seems like it might be a barrier to enjoyment.

You’ll find a promising-looking slate of new releases on the App Store this week, including John Woo’s ultra-violent Bloodstroke, the comic-based Marvel Run Jump Smash!, winter-themed retro arcade entry Dawn of the Plow, and EA’s free-to-play reboot of Dungeon Keeper. And The Room Two — previously only playable on iPad — also expands to iPhone and iPod touch this week. Be sure to keep an eye out for full reviews of some of these titles in the coming days, and then check back next Thursday for an all-new list of notable games to consider.

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New iOS Games

Dungeon Keeper (Free, Universal) is EA’s reboot of the classic PC series, with the free-to-play entry blending its real-time strategy approach with tower defense elements. Online connectivity lets you link up with other players in guilds, as well as engage in player-vs-player battles. We’ll have a full review of this anticipated release up tomorrow.

Created with the involvement of action filmmaker John Woo, Chillingo’s Bloodstroke ($2.99, Universal) sees you painting its monochromatic settings crimson with an array of guns and melee weapons as a bodyguard protecting a client. The visual design is striking, with simple brush strokes for the backdrops; hopefully the gameplay is just as impressive.

Coming off like a comic-tinged blend of Jetpack Joyride and Punch Quest, Marvel Run Jump Smash! ($0.99, Universal) is a side-scrolling runner with cute superhero avatars, special abilities, and plenty of coins to collect. You’ll command Spider-Man, Thor, and others as you dodge hazards, knock out enemies, and simply survive for as long as possible.

While The Room Two ($2.99, Universal) may not be a brand new release on the App Store, this previously iPad-only title has just expanded into a universal, iPhone and iPod touch-friendly offering. We awarded this atmospheric puzzle sequel a 4.5 (Excellent) score and it’s one of our favorite games from 2013.

Dawn of the Plow ($1.99) spotlights a scenario all too common for many of us in the country of late: waiting for a snow plow to clear the roads. Only in this retro-tinged affair, you’re the one zipping around the icy terrain, attempting to keep the paths clear so commuters can get back home. It’s a simple premise, but it promises ample challenge amidst the pixel powder.

Rocket Robo ($0.99, Universal) immediately grabbed our attention with its super-charming aesthetic, which features lots of kitschy, real-world objects in its stages — much like PlayStation favorite LittleBigPlanet. In practice, it looks like a blend of platforming and puzzle-solving, as you’ll glide around as a little robot while rotating stages and tweaking gravity.

Just in time for a certain football showdown this weekend comes Sports Jeopardy! ($0.99, Universal), a specially-themed version of the classic television trivia show. Sports Jeopardy! promises thousands of clues to test your obscure knowledge bank, and turn-based online multiplayer is sure to be a big draw, though there’s also local party play included.

Flinging a flame from wheel to rotating wheel is the name of the game in Pyro Jump (Free, Universal), an attractive little platformer that finds you in pursuit of Princess Paper across 100 stages. You must tap at the precise moment to arc your jump over to the next wheel, with later stages implementing new wheels (like a flaming TNT one) to contend with.

On the Line ($0.99, Universal) challenges your fleet finger to continue moving across the screen as you zip through an endless maze. You’ll have to stay on the main path as the screen shifts around your finger, with rotating and moving obstacles attempting to block your path. It’s super-minimal and slow to start, but picks up before too long.

Unlike previous LEGO Star Wars games, which primarily took place on-foot, LEGO Star Wars: Microfighters ($0.99, Universal) focuses on the little plastic ships, letting you blast an array of cartoonish foes across 18 levels. You’ll command both Empire and Rebellion ships in missions that span the story of all six films, with eight big bosses to topple as well.